This invention relates to a printing apparatus, a printing control apparatus, a printing system, a printing method, a printing control method and to a picture data transferring method usable with advantage in a system for printing an image by a printer connected in circuit via an interface conforming to the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)1394 standard.
The IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)1394 standard provides for physical and electrical standards of connectors provided on interconnection to respective equipments. The equipments having interfaces conforming to the IEEE 1394 standard can be physically interconnected to realize e.g., Hot Plug and Play adapted for automatically transmitting/receiving digital data speedily and for establishing interconnection among different equipment. This is currently being accepted as a serial interface standard providing a criterium for the pertinent business circles.
It has recently been proposed in 1394 TRADE ASSOCIATION to receive printing data from an external network circuit by a set top box (STB) to print the data by a printer connected to the STB over the IEEE 1394 cable.
Up to now, if printing data received by the STB is to be printed by a printer, the processing shown in FIG. 1 is carried out between the STB and the printer device.
In FIG. 1, the STB sends a command packet C101, having stored therein an ALLOCATE command, for setting a destination plug, and receives a corresponding response packet R101.
The STB then sends a command packet C102, having stored therein an ATTACH command, indicating setting a source plug to effect transmission/reception of a data packet, and receives a corresponding response packet R102.
The STB then transmits to the printer a command packet C103, having stored therein a capture command indicating start of printing, and receives a corresponding response packet R102.
The printer then sends a packet S103, having the information of the mode setting the oAPR (output Asynchronous Port Register) to the STB, from which data transmission to the printer is initiated.
If bus resetting occurs during data transmission, the STB sends a command packet C104 for restoring a port to the printer, and receives a corresponding response packet R104. Thus, the STB and the printer send a packet S102 including the oAPR having the information of the mode for restoring the asynchronous connection prior to bus resetting occurrence. The STB then is responsive thereto to start the processing of transmitting the printing data again. The printer device is responsive to reception of the packet S103 having the information pertinent to the iAPR (input asynchronous port register) of the flow control register of the source plug to transmit a packet S104 indicating the completion of data reception to the STB.
If, in the STB and the printer, performing the processing shown in FIG. 1, bus resetting occurs during transmission of printing data, the printing data sent from the STB to the printer before the occurrence of the bus resetting is erased to transmit the initial printing data again. However, in data transmission conforming to the IEEE 1394 standard, bus resetting occurs unavoidably and frequently even as a result of cable connection or disconnection.
So, if, in conventional processing, bus resetting occurs when transmitting an HD (high definition) image produced by e.g., a high definition television (HDTV) from the STB to the printer for printing, much more time is consumed. That is, an HD image has a data size of several M bytes and, if transmission of printing data is again started from the beginning portion on occurrence of bus resetting, considerable data transmission time is consumed, thus protracting the entire printing time inclusive of the data transmission time and printing processing time.
The present Applicant proposed the contents of the Japanese Patent Applications No.H11-350866 and No. H11-345471, which are the bases of priority of the present application, to the IEEE 1394 Trade Association for standardization at suitable timing, and the contents of the proposal are made public as the following drafts by the IEEE 1394 Trade Association:
AV/C Printer Subunit Specification Version 1.0, Draft 0.97:60 (2Q00 AVWG Off-Cycle Meeting on May 24-25, 2000);
AV/C Printer Subunit Specification Version 1.0, Draft 0.7:5 (1Q00 TA QM AV-WG on Jan. 18, 2000); and
AV/C Printer Subunit Specification Version 1.0, Draft 0.5:145 (3Q99 TA QM AVWG Meeting on Jul. 28-30, 1999).
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus, a printing control apparatus, a printing system, a printing method and a printing control method in which, even if bus resetting occurs, data can be transmitted in, a shorter time to render it possible to diminish the entire printing time.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a picture data transferring method and a picture data receiving method in which, even if bus resetting occurs, data can be transmitted in a shorter time to render it possible to diminish the entire time of transferring picture data.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a printing device including printing means for performing printing using printing data from a printing control device, input/output means for being fed from the printing control device with printing data comprehended in a packet conforming to the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)1394 standard, and for outputting a response packet responsive to a command packet conforming to the IEEE 1394 standard from the printing control device, and control means for controlling the input/output means for outputting the information, pertinent to the printing data, input by the input/output means before occurrence of bus resetting between the input/output means and the printing control device when such bus resetting occurs during inputting the printing data by the input/output means, to the printing control device. The control means controls the printing means to perform printing processing using printing data input by the input/output means.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a printing method for performing printing using printing data from a printing control device, including a step of outputting a response packet responsive to a command packet, conforming to the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 standard, input from the printing control device, a step of receiving from the printing control device the printing control data comprehended in a packet conforming to the IEEE 1394 standard, a step of managing control to output to the printing control device the information pertinent to the printing data, as received prior to occurrence of bus resetting, in case such bus resetting occurs with respect to the printing control device as the printing data is input, and a step of performing the printing using the input printing data.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a printing control device including picture processing means for processing picture signals output from outside to generate printing data, input/output means for comprehending printing data generated by the picture processing means in a packet conforming to the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)1394 standard, and for outputting the picture data comprehended in the packet to a printing device, and control means for requesting the printing device to transmit the information pertinent to the printing data, output by the input/output means before occurrence of bus resetting between the input/output means and the printing control device when such bus resetting occurs during outputting the printing data by the input/output means. The control means controls the input/output means to perform the processing of re-outputting the printing data based on the information output from the printing device so as to be input by the input/output means.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a printing control method for processing picture signals input from outside to generate printing data; including a step of comprehending the printing data generated on processing the picture signals in a packet conforming to the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)1394 standard to output the printing data comprehended in the packet to a printing device, a step of requesting the printing device to transmit the information pertinent to the printing data, output before occurrence of bus resetting with respect to the printing control device when such bus resetting occurs during outputting the printing data, and a step of managing control to perform the processing of re-outputting the printing data, based on the information pertinent to the printing data output from the printing device.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a printing system including a printing control device having picture processing means for processing picture signals output from outside to generate printing data, first input/output means for comprehending printing data generated by the picture processing means in a packet conforming to the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)1394 standard, and for outputting the picture data comprehended in the packet to a printing device and control means for controlling the first input/output means, and a printing device having printing means for controlling the first input/output means and second input/output means for receiving the printing data from the printing control device and for outputting a response packet responsive to a command packet from the printing control device. The first input/output means requests the printing device to transmit the information output before occurrence of bus resetting between the input/output means and the printing control device when such bus resetting occurs during transmission of the printing data from the first input/output means to second input/output means. The second input/output means outputs the information input before occurrence of the bus resetting responsive to the request from the first input/output means to the first input/output means. The first input/output means re-outputs printing data based on the information output by the second input/output means.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a printing method including transmitting printing data from first input/output means comprised in a transmission device to second input/output means comprised in a printing device and requesting the printing device to transmit the information output by the first input/output means before occurrence of bus resetting between the transmission device and the printing device if such bus resetting occurs during transmission of the printing data, outputting the information input before occurrence of bus resetting responsive to a request made by the first input/output means, from the second input/output means to the first input/output means, re-outputting the printing data from the first input/output means to the second input/output means, based on the information input responsive to such request, to perform the printing on the printing device using the printing data.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a picture data transferring method for processing picture signals input from outside to generate picture data to be transferred, including a step of outputting the picture data generated on processing the picture signals to a reception device as the printing data is comprehended in a packet conforming to the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)1394 standard, a step of requesting the reception device to transmit the information pertinent to the picture data, output before occurrence of bus resetting with respect to the reception device when such bus resetting occurs during outputting the printing data and a step of managing control to perform the processing of re-outputting the printing data, based on the information on the printing data output from the reception device. At least one of the data position information, printing page information and the printing picture information, derived from the data size of data received by the reception device, responsive to the information pertinent to the printing data, input before occurrence of bus resetting, is input, while printing data as from the printing data not received by the reception device due to interruption by the bus resetting is output to the printing device.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a picture data receiving method for receiving picture data from a picture data transferring device, including a step of outputting a response packet responsive to a command packet conforming to the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)1394 standard, input from the picture data transferring device, a step of receiving the picture data, comprehended in a packet conforming to still image data IEEE 1394 standard, from the picture data transferring device and a step of managing control so that, if bus resetting occurs with respect to the picture data transferring device during inputting the picture data, the information of the picture data input before occurrence of bus resetting is output to the picture data transferring device will be output to the picture data transferring device. Control is managed so that, as the information pertinent to the picture data input before occurrence of the bus resetting, at least one of the data position information, printing page information and the printing picture information, derived from the data size of received data, will be output to the picture data transferring device. The printing data as from the printing data not received by the reception device due to interruption by the bus resetting is received for processing.